President John Dramani Mahama has announced that the government has allocated funds in the 2026 national budget to begin the construction of 10 new multi-sport stadia across Ghana.

The initiative forms part of efforts to address the country’s shortage of modern sporting infrastructure, particularly in regions without standard stadium facilities.

President Mahama made the announcement during a courtesy call by Ghanaian champions Medeama SC, Nations FC and Ampem Darkoa Ladies at the Jubilee House.

The announcement follows an earlier presentation by Sports Minister Kofi Iddie Adams on revised sports infrastructure plans at the 32nd Ordinary Congress.

New regions without stadia

Explaining the rationale behind the project, President Mahama said several regions across the country still lacked stadia, including the six regions created during the country’s recent regional reorganisation.

“Some of the original regions in Ghana do not have stadia, and the six new regions that were created also do not have stadia,” he said.

He confirmed that funding had already been provided in the 2026 budget to commence the project.

“We have made allocations in the 2026 budget to start the construction of 10 new stadia,” President Mahama said.

Ho Stadium to require major reconstruction

The President also highlighted the deteriorating state of the Ho Sports Stadium, indicating that the facility would require extensive reconstruction rather than routine maintenance.

“The Ho Sports Stadium has deteriorated so much that we are going to have to almost start from scratch and refurbish it,” he said.

Facilities to support multiple sports

President Mahama stressed that the new facilities would not be designed exclusively for football.

According to him, the stadia would incorporate infrastructure for several sporting disciplines, including athletics, basketball and volleyball.

“We want to make sure that the stadia that we build are not just football stadia,” he said.

“They will have football pitches, athletics tracks and facilities for other sporting disciplines like basketball and volleyball.”

Existing stadia also receiving upgrades

The announcement comes as several existing sporting facilities across the country undergo rehabilitation.

The Accra Sports Stadium is currently undergoing upgrades to meet Confederation of African Football (CAF) standards. The National Sports Authority has suspended domestic football at the facility during the works ahead of Ghana’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Gabon later this month.

Renovation works are also ongoing at the Takoradi Stadium, while the Baba Yara Sports Stadium and Cape Coast Stadium are expected to receive minor refurbishment before the end of 2026.